Elizabeth Township VFD: Quick Response program to benefit from $10K grant

By CHRISTINE HAINES

chaines@yourmvi.com

The Elizabeth Township Volunteer Fire Department’s Quick Response Teams are getting assistance from Pennsylvania Skill Games.

The Williamsport company presented the fire department with a $10,000 grant.

“This money is going to support our Quick Response license from the Department of Health,” said Elizabeth Township Fire Chief John Walter. “We respond as a medical provider, except we don’t provide transport to the hospital. We provide initial care until (the ambulance services) get there.” 

The grant will be used to upgrade and maintain the basic life support equipment and supplies for the Quick Response units at the Blythedale, Central and Greenock stations. The grant will help standardize what each of the three stations has, including Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), pulse oximeters, blood pressure cuffs and basic first aid supplies. 

“With everything going on, some of the equipment is on back order because of the computer chips. We expect to have most of the equipment by October,” Walter said.

The fire department seeks grants from several sources.

“We evaluate different grants and look at the equipment needs in the department, then match them up for the best chance of getting the grants for the needed equipment,” Walter said.

Fifteen to 20 members of the fire department are cross-trained as emergency medical technicians or paramedics.